Gessle - The World According To Gessle (2008) FLAC

Per Gessle always was the most interesting part of Roxette. While that band did produce some of the catchiest mainstream pop music of the late '80s and early '90s, they often fell back upon weak, overly slick production and on their more Top 40 pop-oriented side, paying less attention to Gessle's excellent rockers. Gessle's gravelly voice and full-throttle guitar attack were always the reasons why Roxette stood out from their peers in the early '90s, and these are the same reasons why Gessle's first English solo album does just the same. Relying mostly on uptempo rockers and much less on ballads, this album is a catchy delight that's a must-have for both Roxette fans and power pop fans -- yes, power pop, not just mainstream pop. The album kicks off with one of the best sequences ever; the chord-heavy "Stupid" transitions to the Roxette-styled rocker "Do You Wanna Be My Baby?" before hitting the unabashed anthem "Saturday" and ending with the disco-driven "Kix." At its best moments, The World According to Per Gessle sounds like the Cars in their heyday, and that's quite a complimentary comparison. Gessle, however, still doesn't quite have as much lyrical skill as the Cars' Ocasek. The album is weighted down by lyrics that range from pedestrian to downright banal (especially in the musically excellent "Reporter"). Still, Per Gessle was never about being deep, he was about creating fun nuggets of three-minute pop, and he's never done it as well as on The World According to Per Gessle. Absolutely essential.

Tracks:

CD1
01 Gessle - Stupid (3:31)
02 Gessle - Do You Wanna Be My Baby? (3:48)
03 Gessle - Saturday (3:54)
04 Gessle - Kix (4:08)
05 Gessle - I Want You To Know (3:58)
06 Gessle - Reporter (4:17)
07 Gessle - B-Any-1-U-Wanna-B (Homage To Brian W.) (3:57)
08 Gessle - Wish You The Best (4:51)
09 Gessle - Elvis In Germany (Let's Celebrate!) (4:11)
10 Gessle - T-T-T-Take It! (3:16)
11 Gessle - I'll Be Alright (3:51)
12 Gessle - There Is My Baby (3:48)
13 Gessle - Lay Down Your Arms (4:19)
14 Gessle - Kix-Cha-Cha (1:30)
15 Gessle - Love Doesn't Live Here (4:45)
16 Gessle - Always Breaking My Heart (Demo May 30, 1995) (3:09)
17 Gessle - I Wanna Be With You (Demo November 2, 1994) (2:53)
18 Gessle - Blue Umbrella (Demo June 15, 1993) (3:19)
19 Gessle - Jupiter Calling (Demo August 3, 1995) (3:06)
20 Gessle - Let's Party! (Demo July 14, 1988) (4:00)

CD2
01 Gessle - There Is My Baby (Demo June 27, 1994) (3:43)
02 Gessle - I'll Be Alright (Demo July 16, 1994) (3:47)
03 Gessle - June Afternoon (Demo July 17, 1994) (4:13)
04 Gessle - Writer (Demo July 17, 1994) (4:23)
05 Gessle - T-T-T-Take It! (Demo September 12, 1994) (3:13)
06 Gessle - Elvis In Germany (Demo November 2, 1994) (3:50)
07 Gessle - Every Day Outside My Window (Demo December 28, 1995) (4:01)
08 Gessle - Love Doesn't Live Here (Demo February 25, 1996) (4:17)
09 Gessle - Detective Jones (Demo February 29, 1996) (2:54)
10 Gessle - Beautiful Things, Terrible Things (Demo April 7, 1996) (4:12)
11 Gessle - Elvis In Deutschland (Demo April 26, 1996) (4:47)
12 Gessle - Makin' Love To You (Demo June 9, 1996) (3:31)
13 Gessle - Lay Down Your Arms (Demo June 23, 1996) (4:36)
14 Gessle - Do You Wanna Be My Baby? (Demo August 12, 1996) (3:45)
15 Gessle - B-Any-1-U-Wanna-B (Demo October 24, 1996) (3:33)
16 Gessle - Stupid (Demo October 28, 1996) (3:40)
17 Gessle - Saturday (Demo November 2, 1996) (3:24)
18 Gessle - Drum (Demo November 2, 1996) (4:34)
19 Gessle - I Want You To Know (Demo December 28, 1996) (4:01)
20 Gessle - Kix (Demo January 2, 1997) (3:56)